1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to a cyclone dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner that centrifugally separates dust entrained in air drawn into through a suction unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows an upright-type vacuum cleaner, such as a vacuum cleaner 10, adopting a cyclone dust collecting apparatus 40. The conventional vacuum cleaner 10 includes a suction unit 30, a cleaner body 20 having a fan motor (not shown) for generating suction power to the suction unit 30, and passages 25 and 26 (shown in phantom) for connecting the suction unit 30 and the fan motor. In addition, the cyclone dust collecting apparatus for collecting separated dust after the drawn air is centrifugally separated, and for discharging the clean air, is disposed between the passages 25 and 26 to improve a dust collecting efficiency.
The conventional cyclone dust collecting apparatus 40 includes a cyclone body 41, a suction pipe 48, a discharge pipe 47, and a dust collector 45. The air drawn into the cyclone body 41 through the suction pipe 48 of the cyclone dust collecting apparatus 40 is centrifugally separated by whirling along an inner circumference of the cyclone body 41. The separated dust from whirling air is collected in the dust collector 45 disposed at a lower part of the cyclone body 41, and the clean air is discharged through the discharge pipe 47 to outside of the cyclone dust collecting apparatus 40.
Here, as the centrifugal force generated when the air whirls, is greater, the whirling air drawn into the cyclone body 41 has a better dust separation efficiency. It is preferable that the air is guided in a direction tangential to a cylinder-type side wall for providing greater centrifugal force of the drawn air.
Accordingly, in the conventional cyclone body 41, as shown in FIG. 2, an air inlet 48a connected with the suction pipe 48 is disposed at one side of a side wall of the cyclone body 41, and the air inlet 48a is formed as an oval type along the side wall to guide the drawn air in the direction of tangential the side wall of the cyclone body 41.
However, the conventional cyclone dust collecting apparatus 40 having the above construction encounters certain problems, described below.
As shown by the arrows in FIG. 2, the air drawn into the cyclone body 41 through the air inlet 48a whirls along the inner circumferential surface of the side wall. The whirling air flows to the air inlet 48a again after whirling one time along the inner circumference of the side wall.
In this case, air newly drawn into the cyclone body 41 through the air inlet 48a meets the air already flown past the air inlet 48a after being drawn into the cyclone body 41 and whirling in the cyclone body 41. Accordingly, the current velocity of air newly drawn into the inside of the cyclone body 41 decreases. Not only the suction efficiency of the cyclone dust collecting apparatus 40 decreases, but also the centrifugal force of the drawn air, which whirls along the inner circumference of the cyclone body 41, decreases. Therefore, a problem of a decrease in the dust collecting efficiency results, for example, the dust may flow back into the discharge pipe 47 together with the clean air.
An object of the present invention is to provide a cyclone dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner having a structure so as to improve the dust collection efficiency by preventing the current velocity of air drawn into the cyclone body from being diminished.
The above object is accomplished by providing a cyclone dust collecting apparatus including: a cyclone body; a suction pipe connected with one side of the cyclone body in order to guide air, which has been drawn into the cyclone body through a suction unit,; and a discharge pipe for discharging clean having been centrifugally separated from entrained dust in the cyclone body to outside of the cyclone body. In addition, the suction pipe extends into the cyclone body so as to protrude into the cyclone body.
It is preferable that the cyclone body has: a suction pipe connected thereto; an upper wall connected to cover an upper end of the side wall; and a guide member for guiding the air, which whirls along an inner circumference of the cyclone body after being drawn into through the suction pipe, to underneath the suction pipe.
In addition, it is preferable that the guide member has a sloping side for connecting the lower side of the suction pipe with the upper wall placed at an upper part of the suction pipe, and the sloping side slopes downwardly in the direction of flow of the drawn air.
On the other hand, the upper wall is removably attached at the upper part of the side wall, and the guide member may protrude from a lower side of the upper wall.
According to the cyclone dust collecting apparatus having the above construction, the deterioration of the air suction force of the cyclone dust collecting apparatus is inhibited or prevented, thus the dust collecting efficiency will be improved.